First Day of School
by ShiningGalaxy
Summary: The first day of school for anyone can be a scary experience, including Annabelle Lennox, our favourite Weapon's Specialist is there to encourage her.


**Disclaimer:** I don't own Transformers or anything associated with it, Hasbro owns this wonderful franchise, I am merely the writer of fictitious writings in which fellow fans can share and enjoy.

**Author's Note:** I'm not sure what happened...I had this up here before, but I think I took it down without fully realizing it. Whoops. This was written awhile back, hope you all enjoy.

**xxx**

The first thing that brought Ironhide out of stasis was a shrill scream being detected from inside the Lennox farmhouse. As his sensors came online he rolled out of the garage, his audio processors focusing on what was going inside of his charge's home.

What he heard was as clear as day. Annabelle was, at the moment screaming at her mother. "I don't WANNA go to school mommy! I want to stay home with you and Ironhide!"

Sarah Lennox seemed to be starting to lose her patience with her young daughter. "Sweetie, school is where you learn new things as well as make new friends. Don't you want that?"

"No! I don't wanna! I don't wanna go!"

"Annabelle Grace Lennox." Sarah sighed impatiently. "You are going to school. Just give it a try, for me please?"

Before Annabelle could retort. Ironhide had rolled up to the house and transformed into his bi-pedal mode, carefully stepping closer to the side of the house where the two of them were located, bending over he peered into the house, lightly knocking on the window. This earned a startled jump out of both Sarah and Annabelle. They glanced over to the window before Sarah walked over and opened it.

Ironhide immediately apologized. "Startling you was not my intention, Sarah and Annabelle Lennox. My apologies."

"It's okay, Ironhide." Sarah pinched the bridge of her nose. "We didn't wake you, did we?"

"That is of no concern, my internal clock would have pulled me out of stasis anyways." Ironhide's optics shifted to focus on Annabelle, her bright sea blue eyes shone when she looked at him. "Now, what is wrong with Annabelle?"

"I don't wanna go to school." She replied softly, holding her teddy closer to her chest. Her eyes filling up with tears. "I wanna stay home with you and mommy."

When her eyes closed Ironhide looked up to Sarah, silently asking her to take Annabelle for a stroll; she nodded. He turned his attention back to Annabelle. "Annabelle. Come with me, I have to talk with you."

He placed part of his hand in the window for her to climb in.

Slowly, she got out of bed; slipping her feet into her slippers, her teddy bear in hand. Walking over to the window with her mother behind her. With Sarah's help Annabelle was sitting safely in Ironhide's palm. He curled his fingers a little so that she won't fall out. She leaned her head on one of his digits.

A few moments of silence was broken by Ironhide's deep voice. "What is bothering you youngling?"

Ironhide's scanners indicated a drop in her pheromones. He realized that she was sad as well as scared. Why for the love of Primus would she be scared?

"Anna?"

She sighed. "I..I'm scared 'hide..."

"Why are you scared youngling?"

"I'm scared that I'm not going to be able to make any friends. That no one will like me."

Ironhide quirked a metal brow. "Won't be able to make any friends?"

She nodded. "Yeah."

He felt his spark tug painfully in his chest compartment. "Oh, youngling why do you think that you won't make any friends?"

She shrugged. "I dunno."

"You will. You are a very cheerful and bright young lady. It gives me great pleasure to see your smiling face every day. You make my day even brighter."

This seemed to make the little girl's spirits lighten up a little bit. "Really?"

He nodded. "Yes."

Without a word Annabelle got up from her sitting position on Ironhide's shoulder and walked over to his face only then did she give him a hug – well as best as she could anyways.

"Thank you, Ironhide!"

"So Annabelle. Do you think you could go to school now? For big 'Ol Ironhide?"

Her smile faded just a little, but not much. "I guess so.."

"Atta girl. Come on, I am going to take you back to your mother."

"...Okay..." With that being said Ironhide started back towards the farmhouse, Sarah was leaning out the window watching the two of them approach. As soon as Ironhide's hand was in the window, Annabelle immediately jumped in and gave her mother a hug.

Sarah smiled. "And what was that for?"

"I'm sorry, mommy."

"Aw, it's okay sweetie." Sarah cooed, caressing her daughter's hair lovingly. She knelt down to eye-level. "Are you ready for school now?"

She glanced back at Ironhide before nodding her head. "Yes."

"Okay." She took her daughter's hand and headed out of the bedroom, but not before turning her head to look at Ironhide; mouthing the words 'thank you'.

30 minutes had passed before Sarah had Annabelle's fall jacket on and barbie sneakers pink lunch box and her pink and blue Dora The Explorer backpack, walking her to the end of the driveway, Ironhide's holoform walking slowly behind them.

As they waited for the bus it was Ironhide's turn to start complaining. "The school transport system doesn't have very safe and effective vehicles for transporting your sparklings."

In other words; he was jealous.

Sarah let out a small chuckle and turned to look at Ironhide, whom had his arms crossed as he looked down the road. "You're jealous!"

"Jealous?" Ironhide scoffed. "Hardly."

_'Liar.'_

Placing her hands on her hips, a playful smirk forming on her lips. "You are jealous of a freaking school bus."

He looked away.

"Aw, Ironhide. She's so used to you driving us...she needs to be a big girl and go on the school bus with the other kids." Sarah placed her hand on his shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. "You will always be the one and only vehicle in this family."

He took a quick glimpse of her out of the corner of his eye, before nodding his head down the road, he uttered the next few words with absolute hate. "The...bus...is here."

She looked towards the direction that Ironhide had nodded his head. Sure enough the bus was indeed making it's way down the road. Quickly, Sarah made her way over to Annabelle, wrapping her arms around her shoulders as she gave her a hug.

"You be a big girl for me Annie, and I will see you around noon okay?"

"Okay." With that Annabelle gave her one last hug before walking over to Ironhide and wrapping her arms around his legs. Ironhide felt his mouth curve into a smile as he bent over and gave Annabelle a hug as well.

"You remember what I told you."

Annabelle smiled. "I will."

Letting go of Ironhide she walked up to the stopped bus and up the small stairs, the door shutting behind her; but Ironhide and Sarah saw her as she sat down in the second seat by the window, and began waving.

Tears sprung to her eyes as she waved back, watching as her little girl left for her first day of school.

"Oh, my baby girl is growing up." She choked out, wiping the tears from her eyes. The eyebrows of Ironhide's hologorm shot up with confusion.

"Baby? She has not been classified as an infant for a long time..."

Slowly, Sarah started to turn, a mixture of sadness and frustration etched into her soft features. "To me...she will always be my baby girl...understand?"

He held up his hands, in surrender. One thing he learned from being the Lennox family guardian...you DO NOT make Sarah Lennox angry. "I-I am sorry Sarah Lennox, no harm was to come from that statement."

"Hmm..."She replied as she turned away and began walking back to the house. Ironhide cursed in Cybertronian before his holoform disappeared and the truck's engine started up, making its way back to the family garage.

He knew he made Sarah angry, he did not mean to; though he did. The best thing for him right now was to stay out of sight and out of mind so that she could cool her jets.

Ironhide tinkered with his cannons while he waited for Annabelle to get off of that inferior school transportation they have for the children. His thought processors went back to what Sarah had said for the fifth time that morning:

_'You are so! You're jealous of a school bus.'_ Ironhide knew he wouldn't admit it; he indeed, felt a bit jealous. He was the most safest vehicle on this planet...apart from the rest of the Autobots... He would never let anything happen to his Annabelle, or her family and friends.

He felt slightly betrayed.

He shook the thought off when the sound of brakes screeching reached his audio processors.

_'Yeah, sure sounds safe...'_

He peered out of the garage, Sarah was now wearing a navy blue hoodie as she stood near the edge of the driveway, watching as Annabelle got off the bus. As Annabelle disembarked the vehicle, Ironhide couldn't help but notice that she was wearing a huge smile on her face and a big piece of paper held protectively against her chest as she skipped towards her mother, throwing herself on Sarah, wrapping one of her arms around her. She spoke a few words as she handed her mother her backpack before making her way towards him.

Ironhide's spark fluttered as her eyes shone with happiness as she walked up to him. Ironhide's mouth compartments separated and showed her a big smile. One that only SHE would see.

"How was your first day of school, youngling?" He held out his hand for her to climb in.

"It was awesome!" She exclaimed, sitting in the middle of his palm. "We finger painted, played outside and we had story time and then we colored!"

"That sounds...interesting."

She held out the piece of paper. "This is for you! I have another one in my backpack for mommy and daddy."

"Thank you little one." With his thumb and pointer finger he carefully picked up the piece of paper and layed it down in his free palm. His spark almost stopped.

For a five year old drawing tick people, Ironhide could tell instantly who everyone was. Major Lennox, Sarah and herself whom was sitting on Ironhide's holoform's lap, his arms wrapped protectively around her. They were sitting on the back of his tailgate.

The picture was entitled. 'MY FAMILY'.

Ironhide looked down at her, his bright aqua blue optics dimmed slightly as he realized that Annabelle considered him, an alien from another planet to be part of her family. "Thank you so much, Annabelle."

He placed the picture in a small compartment located on his left shoulder, there, he would always have it with him.

"You're welcome." Her smile broadened some more. "And, thank you, Ironhide."

"For what, youngling?"

"For believing that I could make friends. And guess what? I did too!." She carefully got up and hugged his thumb. "I love you, Ironhide."

"I love you too, Annabelle."


End file.
